Thursday, January 19, 2006

News

The Lightning Thief won The Northport-East Northport Public Library's Mock Newbery contest. This particular Mock Newbery has garnered attention because of the library's active children's review program (reviews posted online here). Minzesheimer writes, "In a testament to the power of the Internet to connect writers and readers, Riordan also is one of five authors who contacted the book club after reading reviews on the library's website."++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++There's an interesting article in the Independent today about Peter Pan and The Great Ormond Street Hospital, "to whom Barrie bequeathed the rights to his great work."

Louise Jury writes that the hospital, "will announce details of the first officially sanctioned sequel, a book written by the award-winning children's author Geraldine McCaughrean after a worldwide competition. The sequel, whose title will be unveiled tomorrow, will be published this year to raise fresh funds for the famous children's hospital in London."

I'll be looking for the title, but the interesting part of the article is the effect an American book has had on the Great Ormond Street Hospital's fund-raising efforts. Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson's Peter and the Starcatchers will be published in the U.K. next week. And it's a competing Peter Pan book. (Read Camille's November 10 review of Peter and the Starcatchers at BookMoot.)

Jury writes that the hospital is a bit put out, but that Barry and Pearson, "were not aware of initially was the link to Great Ormond Street Hospital, which gains no royalties from Peter Pan books sold in America though it will gain from the films in a deal signed with Disney half a century ago."

And, she interviewed Barry who said, "'We became pretty sensitive about it. We visited Great Ormond Street Hospital when we were in England to do research for the next book and we saw the tremendous need for funds.'"

"They plan to bring their celebrity band to the UK for a fund-raising concert in a bid to help."